Diddy closed out day 29 of his federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial in New York with prosecutors resting their case.
But not before a Homeland Security agent testified about graphic text messages from a woman known as “Jane,” including one where she said she couldn’t wait to lick his nipples.
Special Agent Joseph Cerciello returned to the witness stand Tuesday, June 24) and was cross-examined by defense attorney Teny Geragos, who presented a series of sexually explicit messages exchanged between Jane and Diddy.
The texts, according to Geragos, showed Jane actively initiating sexual encounters and organizing what she called “freak-offs” with sex workers.
In one message, Jane allegedly wrote, “Daddy wanna see Mommy be bad tonight–right?” followed by a string of emojis and a sexually explicit invitation to have sex in a restaurant.
Another read, “I’m going to blow your mind tonight, can’t wait to lick your nipples.” Cerciello confirmed the authenticity of the messages under oath.
Jurors also viewed about six minutes of video footage showing Jane and a male sex worker named Paul during one of the alleged “freak-offs.”
The clips were part of a broader set of evidence that included hotel receipts, travel records and financial transactions prosecutors say support their claim that Diddy orchestrated a sex trafficking operation under the guise of lavish parties.
Diddy’s lawyers claim the messages from Jane prove that she was willing to participate and that all activities between the two were consensual.
Following the government’s final witness, defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro moved for an acquittal on all five charges, arguing that prosecutors failed to meet the legal threshold for racketeering conspiracy under the RICO Act.
She stated that the government did not prove that Diddy agreed to participate in a criminal enterprise or that such an enterprise even existed.
Shapiro addressed the $100,000 payment made to hotel staff at the InterContinental in Los Angeles for a surveillance video showing Diddy assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016.
She argued the payment was made to prevent public embarrassment, not to obstruct justice and that Ventura herself did not want the incident reported to the police.
On the charge of obstruction, Shapiro stated that the government failed to demonstrate that Diddy used threats or intimidation to delay or prevent a federal investigation.
She emphasized that no evidence showed Diddy knew of any federal probe at the time of the alleged incidents involving Jane and another woman, Mia.
Shapiro also pushed back on the claim that Diddy’s financial support of Jane, including paying her rent, amounted to coercion or corrupt persuasion.
.The defense team told the court it expects to wrap up its case by Wednesday and does not plan to call any witnesses.
Diddy, 55, will not testify. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution.
If convicted, he faces anywhere between 10 years to life in prison. Closing arguments are expected to begin on Thursday.
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